Hat carton insert



Feb. 19, 1957 A. J. WEISS HAT CARTON msam 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 14 1953 INVENTQR I Ari/5V! Lu e155 TTOR EY HAT CARTON INSERT a Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 14, 1953 \NVENTOR I Ar/fi tfx], We :55

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HAT CARTON INSERT Filed Dec. 14, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mmmn"WM. 25

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United States Patent HAT CARTON INSERT Arthur J. Weiss, Bergenfield, N. 1., assignor to Robert Gait Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 14, 1953, Serial No. 398,119

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-9) The invention relates to bat carton inserts.

In packing hats for shipment and storage it has long been customary to pack a group of hats in an oval or octagonal carton, one hat above another, with their crowns partially nesting and with paperboard spacers between each pair of hats. In general, the paperboard spacers have comprised three elements: a fiat oval member with an opening to receive the crown of a hat and otherwise shaped to fit the carton, a brim-supporting collar fitting the opening in the oval member, and a spacing collar of generally cylindrical form which goes between each pair of oval members to hold them the proper distance apart. While this type of spacer assembly is reasonably satisfactory for shipping purposes, it is troublesome to put together during packing and unpacking. This is true especially in the normal handling of merchandise in retail stores, where salespeople are required to unpack and repack again and again in stocking and restocking shelves and counters. Each carton generally contains a range of hat sizes, starting with the largest size nearest the bottom. So whenever it is desired to obtain from stock one of the larger hat sizes, the operation entails removing the smaller sizes, one by one, the oval members, one by one, and the spacer collars, one by one. Then the whole operation must be performed in the reverse order during replacement of the smaller sizes which are to remain in stock after selection of the size desired.

It will be appreciated that no small part of this tedious series of manipulations is occasioned by the need for separate handling of two spacer elements for each and every hat removed or repacked. I have discovered a way to avoid this difficulty by providing a hat carton insert formed from a single flat paperboard blank having an oval panel and elongated panels extending from two opposite sides of the oval panel at fold lines intermediate the ends of such elongated panels. downwardly and bend into the form of a collar supporting the oval panel, with the collar held erect by securing together the respective ends of the elongated panels. The resulting spacer is self-supporting, easy to handle as a single piece, inexpensive to produce and can be set up for use without gluing or stitching. It can as easily be restored to its original flat form to get it out of the way in the most compact fashion.

By making the elongated panels of generally arcuate form, a slope is obtained in the supporting collar formed therefrom, keeping the top of the collar underneath the oval panel for proper support While bringing the bottom of the collar into proximity with the sides of a hat carton and in line with the outer edge of the oval panel. Tabs extending outwardly from the outside edge of the oval panel bend upwardly to rest against the inner walls of a hat carton and provide bearing points for the base of the collar of a superimposed insert of like construction. By forming the oval panel with an opening at one side adapted to be drawn closed when the insert is set up for use, the oval panel is brought into proper form to support a hat The elongated panels fold 2,781,896 Patented Feb. 19, 1957 from the inner edge of its brim without undue distortion of the flare of the brim.

These and other features and advantages of my invention will appear more clearly as the description proceeds.

Fig. 1 is a view of a paperboard blank for my improved hat carton insert.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same illustrating the operation of setting up the insert for use.

Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view showing the insert completely set up.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view through a carton containing three inserts with hats in place as the carton is packed for shipment or storage.

Fig. 5 is a detail top plan view of a part of the same carton with a portion of the cover broken away.

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectional view taken as indicated at 6-6 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view of a modified form of paperboard blank.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an insert constructed from the blank of Fig. 7 as set up for use.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, my invention comprises a hat carton insert formed from a single fiat paperboard blank 10 having an oval panel 11 adapted to fit within a carton 12 when the insert is set up for use, the oval panel having a central opening 13 to receive the crown of a hat and elongated panels 14 extending from two opposite sides of the oval panel. Each of the elongated panels 14 adjoins the oval panel 11 at a fold line 15 intermediate the ends of the respective elongated panel. The elongated panels fold downwardly with respect to the oval panel and bend into the form of a collar 16 supporting the oval panel. The collar is held erect by securing together the respective ends of the elongated panels as by means of the complementary interlocking projections 17, 17' and 18, 18'.

Tabs 19 extend outwardly from the outside edge of the oval panel 11 at spaced intervals, these tabs being bendable upwardly about fold lines 20 to rest against the inner walls of a hat carton and provide bearing points for the base of the collar of a superimposed insert of like construction as shown in Fig. 6. The fold lines 20 are located inwardly of the edge of the oval panel so that the tabs 19 rest in an inclined position and provide a centering guide for the base of the collar of a second insert as the latter is lowered into place above the first insert. In my preferred construction the elongated panels 14 are of generally arcuate form (see Fig. 1), giving a slope to the supporting collar 16 formed from such elongated arcuate panels (Fig. 6). These elongated arcuate panels have notches 21 in their outer edges at points opposite tabs 19 to assist in guiding and relatively positioning a number of superimposed inserts of like construction. Note that due to the slope of collar 16, the edge of each notch 21 is spaced inwardly of the carton walls, maintaining a clearance which insures that the base of the collar will not catch on the tabs 19 as one insert is lowered onto another. In other words, these notches provide a slot into which the tips of tabs 19 of another insert will pass. Then, as the superimposed insert comes to rest, it is guided down the inclined edges and surfaces of the tabs 19 of the insert below. The construction has two functions: for, in addition to the aforesaid guiding and centering action, it provides a bearing support between two adjacent inserts.

Another feature of my preferred construction is the offsetting of fold lines 15 inwardly from the outer edge of oval panel 11 (see Fig. 1). This construction, in combination with the arcuate formation of the panels 14, brings the upper edge of collar 16 underneath the oval panel 11 throughout the periphery of the collar.

If desired, there may be attached to the insert a brimsupporting collar 22 having a central head 23 to receive the inner edge of oval panel 11. A tab 24 extending from the oval panel may be bent upwardly and stitched, or otherwise secured, to the collar 22.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a modification in which oval panel 25 is formed initially with an opening 26 at one side adapted to be drawn closed when the insert is set up for use, bringing the oval panel into approximately frusto-conical form to support a hat from the inner edge of its brim without undue distortion of the flare of the brim. This construction eliminates the need for a separate brim-supporting collar, such as the collar 22 previously described. The edges of opening 26 preferably are provided with complementary interlocking projections 27, 28, 29, 30 to hold the oval panel 25 in its frusto-conical form. In all other respects the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 may be the same as that which has been described with reference to Figs. 1-6.

When my insert is designed specially for use in octagonal boxes or boxes of other shapes, the oval panel may, if desired, be slightly modified in peripheral configuration to approximate the shape of the hat box.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used in a descriptive and not a limiting sense, and I have no intention of excluding such equivalents of the invention described, or of portions thereof, as fall within the purview of the claims.

Iclaim:

1. A hat carton insert formed from a single flat paperboard blank having a panel adapted to fit within a carton when the insert is set up for use, said panel having a central opening to receive the crown of a hat, and elongated panels of generally arcuate form extending from the midpoints of two opposite edges of said first panel, each of the elongated panels adjoining said first panel at a relatively short fold line intermediate the ends of the respective elongated panel, said elongated panels folding downwardly and bending into the form of an arcuate collar supporting said first panel along an arcuate line lying within the perimeter of said first panel, and tabs extending outwardly from the outside edge of said first panel at spaced intervals, said tabs being bendable upwardly about fold lines located inwardly of the edge of said first panel to rest against the inner Walls of a hat carton in an inclined position and provide a centering guide for the base of the collar of a superimposed insert of like construction.

2. A hat carton insert formed from a single fiat paperboard bla'ii. having a panel adapted to fit within a carton when the insert is set up for use, said panel having a central opening to receive the crown of a hat, and elongated panels of generally arcuate form extending from the midpoints of two opposite edges of said first panel, each of the elongated panels adjoining said first panel at a relatively short fold line intermediate the ends of the respective elongated panel, said elongated panels folding downwardly and bending into the form of an arcuate collar supporting said first panel along an arcuate line lying within the perimeter of said first panel, and said first panel being formed initially with an opening at one side adapted to be drawn closed when the insert is set up for use, bringing the first panel into approximately frusto-conical form to support a hat from the inner edge of its brim without undue distortion of the flare of the brim.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,991,312 Berger Feb. 12, 1935 2,180,524 Huye Nov. 21, 1939 2,384,680 Huye Sept. 11, 1945 2,484,167 Huye Oct. 11, 1949 

